33-year-old NBC News Freelancer In Africa Diagnosed With Ebola....Four Americans have now contracted Ebola in Liberia, NBC notes.

The Huffington Post | By Andrew Hart Email 10/2/14
NBC News reported that one of its American freelancers working in Liberia has tested positive for Ebola, the network reported Thursday night.
EBOLAThe 33-year-old man was a freelance cameraman on NBC News' reporting team covering the Ebola epidemic in Monrovia, Liberia. The freelancer started showing symptoms on Wednesday, and was then found to have a fever. He immediately quarantined himself. On Thursday morning, he was tested by Medicins Sans Frontieres for the virus. A positive result came back hours later.
The network has not released the name of the cameraman. He is to be flown back to the U.S. for treatment, according to NBC News President Deborah Turness. The rest of the NBC News crew that the diagnosed man was working with is being monitored, but were not showing signs of infection at the time. They are to be flown back to the U.S. as well, and will be placed under quarantine. Below is the full statement from Turness that was released Thursday evening. more

Dr. Evelyn Richardson to speak with Rula Brown about the Ebola Virus & Chikungunya (Chick-V)....History of the organisms, Transmission, Symptoms, prevention, treatment, affects in JAMAICA, Govt. readiness @ www.RulaBrownNetwork.com at 10:30am ET on 10/3/14

The first locally acquired case of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease, was reported July 17 in Florida. This newly reported case represents the first time that mosquitoes in the continental United States are thought to have spread the virus to a non-traveler. Although CDC does not expect widespread cases of chikungunya in the United States this summer, American travelers infected overseas may continue to return and bring the virus with them.
  • Chikungunya virus is transmitted to people by two species of mosquitoesAedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Both species are found in the southeastern United States and limited parts of the Southwest; Aedes albopictusis also found further north up the East Coast, through the Mid-Atlantic States, and is also found in the lower Midwest.
  • People infected with chikungunya virus typically develop fever and joint pain. Other symptoms can include muscle aches, headaches, joint swelling or rash. This virus is not spread person to person. There is no vaccine and no specific treatment for infection.
  • The best way to protect yourself and your family from chikungunya is to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, using air conditioning or window/door screens to keep mosquitoes outside, and reducing mosquito breeding ground such as standing water. more

WAYNE J- ORIGINAL SONG "One Panadol" TELLS CHIK-V STORY (Most Popular Out of JAMAICA about killer Chikungunya Virus.


Post by Bring Back Our JAMAICA, #BBOJ.
WAYNE J- ORIGINAL SONG, TELLS CHIKV STORY (Most Popular Out of JAMAICA about killer Chikungunya Virus. -- Using a song out of Jamaica, Magnetic Media has put together the web's most popular images, video and warnings regarding the now, killer Chikungunya Virus.
The illness was first recorded in the Caribbean last November, and many believe original recordings like these will continue to heighten awareness for a stop on the spread of Chik V and other mosquito borne illnesses.

BREAKING NEWS EBOLA: Did officials lied again?.....Health Officials Say Up To 100 People May Have Been Exposed To Texas Ebola Patient....The disease has killed at least 3,338 people in West Africa in the worst such outbreak on record....My question is could terrorist start to spread the virus here in America?

DALLAS, Oct 2 (Reuters) - HuffingtonPost

Up to 100 people may have had direct or indirect contact with the first person to be diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus in the United States, and four of his relatives have been quarantined in their homes as a precaution, health officials said Thursday.
Ebola Virus
Dallas County officials said 12 to 18 people had direct contact with the Texas patient, and they in turn had contact with scores of others. Officials said none of those thought to have had direct or indirect contact with the patient, who was being treated at a Dallas hospital, were showing symptoms of Ebola. The disease has killed at least 3,338 people in West Africa in the worst such outbreak on record.
A top health official urged U.S. hospitals to heed lessons from Dallas, where the hospital initially sent the ailing patient home, despite information that he had recently visited West Africa, potentially exposing more people to the virus.
America’s first Ebola patient has been identified by Liberian officials as Thomas Eric Duncan, a resident of Monrovia.
America’s first Ebola patient has
been identified by Liberian officials as
Thomas Eric Duncan, a
resident of Monrovia.
U.S. officials initially described the number of people potentially exposed as a handful, and on Wednesday said it was up to 18.
But on Thursday, the Texas health department said there were about 100 potential contacts. However, Dallas County officials said more than 80 had direct or indirect contact with the patient.
"We are working from a list of about 100 potential or possible contacts," Texas health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we're starting with this very wide net, including people who have had even brief encounters with the patient or the patient's home. The number will drop as we focus in on those whose contact may represent a potential risk of infection."
Ebola Virus
Texas health officials told four "close" relatives of the patient not to entertain visitors and said they could be arrested if they left their homes without permission through Oct. 19. The four did not exhibit symptoms, they said.
"We have tried-and-true protocols to protect the public and stop the spread of this disease," said Dr. David Lakey, the Texas health commissioner. more

Today in History for October 2nd....Mohandes Gandhi born; President Woodrow Wilson suffers stroke; Thurgood Marshall sworn in as US Supreme Court justice; Rock Hudson dies



Highlights of this day in history: Mohandes Gandhi born; President Woodrow Wilson suffers stroke; Thurgood Marshall sworn in as US Supreme Court justice; Rock Hudson dies; Peanuts comic strip debut. (Oct. 2)

Highlights of the day in history - a retrospective view on political events, historic battles, and life changing decisions. More:http://smarturl.it/TodayInHistory

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Ebola Panic in JAMAICA: Local Doctors Say They Are Not Equipped To Handle Deadly Virus....If the Ebola virus should reach Jamaica, doctors at the nation's hospitals, particularly the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), do not have the safety gear needed to treat affected persons

Corey Robinson, Staff Reporter Published: Thursday | October 2, 2014
If the Ebola virus should reach Jamaica, doctors at the nation's hospitals, particularly the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), do not have the safety gear needed to treat affected persons, and some say they will not expose themselves or their charges by treating Ebola patients.
Nine-year-old Nowa Paye is taken to an ambulance after showing signs of the Ebola infection in the village of Freeman Reserve, Liberia, on Tuesday. Aid donations are still inadequate, as the international community tries to increase the ability to care for the spiraling number of people infected with the disease which has hit Liberia the hardest. AP Photo
Nine-year-old Nowa Paye is taken to an ambulance
after showing signs of the Ebola infection in the
 village of Freeman Reserve, Liberia, on Tuesday.
Aid donations are still inadequate, as the international
 community tries to increase the ability to care
 for the spiraling number of people infected with
 the disease which has hit Liberia the hardest.
AP Photo
A workshop put on yesterday, in light of the outbreak in Africa, erupted in concerns after it was disclosed that health officials in Jamaica do not have the requisite hazard-management gear, or even the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved personal protection equipment (PPE) to deal with the Ebola virus. Only standard PPE gear, consisting of a regular fabric medical gown, goggles, and N95 or N100 oxygen masks are available, and these are useless against the disease, the forum of medical doctors, firefighters and other emergency-response workers were told. The N95 can only last for four hours, according to doctors, while the N100 for 24 hours.
"If the Government doesn't supply us with these things, who is going out towork?" asked one doctor from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the UHWI, sparking murmurs among the gathering.
The doctor hinted at the possibility of an outbreak, suggesting that there are students from countries affected by the virus currently at the University of the West Indies, and frowned on the Government's lacklustre approach in preparing for the disease, which has presented itself in the United States. more

IN JAMAICA: Death on hospital floor....Mother, sister of Jason Forbes blame hospital for man’s death..... “Mi belly ah hurt mi, unnu help mi nuh, unnu a guh mek mi dead,”

 BY ANIKA RICHARDS Observer staff reporter richardsai@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, October 02, 2014    
JASON Forbes seemingly foresaw his death while lying on the floor of the Spanish Town Hospital Tuesday night, complaining about a pain in his stomach and pleading for assistance from health care workers.
When his name was eventually called on Wednesday morning and a security guard lifted him from the floor onto a wheelchair, he was dead.
01
Jason Forbes died at Spanish Town Hospital
“Mi belly ah hurt mi, unnu help mi nuh, unnu a guh mek mi dead,” Forbes, the father of a 13-year-old daughter, pleaded on Tuesday night, according to his sister Carmen Gunn.
His 76-year-old mother, who spent the night at the Spanish Town Hospital with Forbes waiting for him to be attended to, also tried to get some assistance for him, but was repeatedly told to sit down.
Gunn told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that, after getting to the hospital, some time after 7:00 pm, her mother was told to get Forbes registered, which she did. Gunn said that after her mother registered Forbes they sent her back out with him.
But he kept on crying, and her mother, who had suffered a stroke, said: “‘Listen, I have a stroke and my son is out there dying with his stomach, somebody need to tend to him’,” Gunn said.
“The lady who was at the desk said to her, ‘Mother, go and sit down; many persons are here’.
“So my mother turn to her and said, ‘Listen, many out here, but none dying. My son is dying’,” the obviously distraught sister told the Observer.
On Tuesday he complained about feeling a pain in his stomach and was taken to the hospital that evening. Gunn said that her mother was there with her brother, who was lying on a towel on the hospital’s floor because there was no bed or chair available, until about 9:10 yesterday morning when his name was called. more

TRELAWNY, JAMAICA: Missing 13 y-o Trelawny student, Aliesha Brown found dead.... whose face appeared to be bashed in, was found partially covered by a car bumper....Aliesha's distraught, weeping mother, Stacy Douglas, could not contain her grief and had to be consoled by relatives. "Mek me go look! Me want see me pickney!" she wailed.

BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, October 02, 2014   
STEWART CASTLE, Trelawny — 
Blood-curdling screams reverberated throughout an isolated section of this community after a member of a search party discovered the body of a 13-year-old girl who went missing after leaving home for school on Monday morning.
01
Mourners and Aliesha Brown, affectionately
called 'Miss Chin'
The body of Aliesha Brown, affectionately called 'Miss Chin', was found clad in her maroon and white Muschett High School uniform, covered with a black motorcar bumper in bushes near the ruins of the Stewart Castle Great House.
The grade eight student, left her home in Refuge district in the parish, early Monday morning to be on time for the morning shift at her school in Wakefield about 14 miles away.
But she did not arrive. When the teen did not return home at the usual time, her mother became worried and made contact with the school but was told her daughter had been absent from classes for the day.
A large search party, consisting of relatives and members of the community, unsuccessfully scoured the bushy areas of the community late into Monday night.
Their fears intensified after the search throughout the entire Tuesday also ended in futility.
But, yesterday their worst fears were realised after they launched out of their community and headed for Stewart Castle, which is separated by the Duncans to Falmouth main road.
A member of the search party Anthony Loney said early yesterday afternoon after searching through the remains of an old great house, some of the searchers decided to rest, but he ventured further along the isolated road and was alerted by the buzzing of flies.
Upon closer inspection the body of the teenaged student, whose face appeared to be bashed in, was found partially covered by a car bumper.
"Ah from morning we a search, everybody come together and say them ago come a Stewart Castle to search. Five of us came here and searched the big house and we never find her so them say them a go rest and me say alright me a go walk and by the time me walk go over there I saw the black container and when I peeped over I saw a lot of flies so I had to run," Loney told the Jamaica Observer.
Shortly after, several mourning onlookers gathered along the dirt road in the rustic Stewart Castle community, near where the body was found. more

Michael Dunn Found Guilty Of First-Degree Murder In Killing Of Jordan Davis.... loud-music trial

Jacksonville, Florida (CNN) --
Jurors found Michael Dunn guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday in the 2012 shooting death 17-year-old Jordan Davis.
Watch this videoDunn's parents were in the courtroom for the verdict. Davis' parents, Ron Davis and Lucia MacBath, both let out a quiet gasp upon hearing the jury forewoman's words and then hung their heads and cried. Dunn did not appear to have an immediate reaction, but later, he turned around and somberly shook his head toward his father.
Duval County Judge Russell Healey set a tentative sentencing hearing for October 17 but said he would wait until Tuesday to ensure the date worked for Dunn's defense attorneys.
"This has been going on for two years, and everyone has acted graciously. I ask that you continue to do that," Healey said before the verdict was read. "Remember, we must respect the verdict of the jury. They did not volunteer to do this." more

THE RACE TO TRACE : Texas Ebola Patient Was In Contact With Children... At Least 12 To 18 People... Identified As Liberian Native... Vomited On Way To Hospital... REPORT: Hospital Made Huge Error In Diagnosis...

DALLAS , Texas (AP) — 
The first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States told health care workers on his initial hospital visit that he had recently been in an area affected by the deadly disease, but that information was not widely shared, a hospital official said Wednesday.
Thomas Eric Duncan went to a Dallas emergency room Friday and explained that he was visiting the U.S. from Liberia. He was sent home with antibiotics, according to his sister, Mai Wureh.
DALLAS EBOLA
A man walks up the stairway leading to the Texas Health
 Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014.
 | ASSOCIATED PRESS
He returned two days later, after his condition worsened, and was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Mark Lester, who works for the hospital's parent company, said a nurse had asked Duncan whether he had been in any part of West Africa, where Ebola has killed thousands. But that "information was not fully communicated throughout the whole team."
A day after the man's diagnosis was confirmed, a nine-member team of federal health officials was tracking anyone who had close contact with him.
The team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was in Dallas to work with local and state health agencies to ensure that those people are watched every day for 21 days.
"If anyone develops fever, we'll immediately isolate them to stop the chain of transmission," Dr. Tom Frieden, the CDC director, said in an interview.
Duncan has been kept in isolation at the hospital since Sunday. He was listed in serious but stable condition.
Ebola is believed to have sickened more than 6,500 people in West Africa, and more than 3,000 deaths have been linked to the disease, according to the World Health Organization.
Officials are monitoring 12 to 18 people who may have been exposed to the man, including three members of the ambulance crew that transported him to the hospital and five schoolchildren.
Some of the people are members of his family, but not all, Dallas city spokeswoman Sana Syed said. more

EBOLA VIRUS INFECTION - What you should know! High fever, Headache, Joint and muscle aches, Sore throat, Weakness, Stomach pain, Lack of appetite

Wednesday, October 01, 2014 | 2:11 AM    
OBSERVER ONLINE today begins its national campaign of informing our readers on the deadly Ebola Virus and the Chikungunya virus. The aim of the Jamaica Observer through these articles and graphics is to inform, and hopefully to have Jamaicans become more aware of Ebola and Chikungunya so that the necessary steps can be taken to deal with these ailments. We begin the series with a look at Ebola. Please take the time to read and to view the graphics posted with today's article. With every good wish - Editor
WHAT IS EBOLA?
Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes bleeding inside and outside the body.
As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes levels of blood-clotting cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.
HOW DO YOUN GET EBOLA?
Ebola isn’t as contagious as more common viruses like colds, influenza, or measles. It spreads to people by contact with the skin or bodily fluids of an infected animal, like a monkey, chimp, or fruit bat. Then it moves from person to person the same way. Those who care for a sick person or bury someone who has died from the disease often get it.
Other ways to get Ebola include touching contaminated needles or surfaces. 
You can’t get Ebola from air, water, or food. A person who has Ebola but has no symptoms can’t spread the disease, either.
What Are the Symptoms of Ebola?
Early on, Ebola can feel like the flu or other illnesses. Symptoms show up 2 to 21 days after infection and usually include:
High fever
Headache
Joint and muscle aches
Sore throat
Weakness
Stomach pain
Lack of appetite
As the disease gets worse, it causes bleeding inside the body, as well as from the eyes, ears, and nose.  Some people will vomit or cough up blood, have bloody diarrhea, and get a rash.
How Is Ebola Diagnosed?
Sometimes it's hard to tell if a person has Ebola from the symptoms alone. Doctors may test to rule out other diseases like cholera or malaria.<
Tests of blood and tissues also can diagnose Ebola.
If you have Ebola, you’ll be isolated from the public immediately to prevent the spread.       more

IN JAMAICA: Cabinet Approves Changes To Ganja Law.... Justice Minister Mark Golding announced that among the amendments to the act that Cabinet has approved are provisions for permits to cultivate, possess, import, export, transport, manufacture, sell, and distribute ganja for medical and scientific purposes under licence.

Published: Wednesday | October 1, 2014
Accepting that aspects of the Dangerous Drugs Act prohibit Jamaica from enjoying the economic benefits of medical marijuana and industrial hemp, the Government has made a number of changes to the act.
Ganja plant
Speaking yesterday at a press briefing at Jamaica House, Justice Minister Mark Golding announced that among the amendments to the act that Cabinet has approved are provisions for permits to cultivate, possess, import, export, transport, manufacture, sell, and distribute ganja for medical and scientific purposes under licence.
"While the Dangerous Drugs Act and its regulations and the Food and Drug Regulations, 1975, provide a regime for the use of extracts, tinctures, or preparations made from cannabis, the prohibitions of the Dangerous Drugs Act make any dealing with the ganja plant itself illegal, without exception, and, therefore, do not allow locally grown cannabis plants to be used to produce extracts, tinctures, or preparations for medical, scientific, or any other purpose," he said.
Justice minister Mark Golding
Justice minister Mark Golding
Stating that the terms of the proposed licence are to be determined, Golding said, "We need to now flesh out the specifics of the licence and framework to go hand-in-hand once the amendments have been approved and implemented."
A licensing authority is to be established to govern the licensing processes for participation in the medicinal ganja industry. more

Mother of Jamaican killed, 25 y-o Tremaine Thomas in Trinidad wants answers....Bridgette Johnson wants to go get her son’s body from Trinidad

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, September 30, 2014  
THE mother of Jamaican actor Tremaine Thomas, who was shot dead in a volatile community in Port of Spain, Trinidad, last Thursday night, is demanding the truth about his killing.
Front cover of today's paper“I know my child, he was no gunman,” Bridgette Johnson told the Jamaica Observer yesterday. “He had a clean police record in Jamaica. And it is upon that premise that I am seeking justice. In my heart I know my child is not a criminal; he was not a gunman.”
Trinidad media reported that five men were in the Laventille area when occupants of a black vehicle fired gunshots on the group, hitting all of them.
One of the dead men, Dillon Skeete, was reported to be a gang leader.
“The newspaper in Trinidad is saying that it was gunmen who murdered my child, but yet eyewitness is saying that it is police; so I don’t know,” Johnson told the Observer. “I am not going to sit here and speculate, but I am in search of justice because I don’t know, and I have to make that clear.”
Twenty-five-year-old Thomas was in Trinidad to shoot a movie.
His mother said that up to yesterday she had not been contacted by the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago and had to be relying on the media to know what was happening.
“But even if they don’t contact me directly, they can contact the Jamaican Government so I can know what is happening. I want to know how I can get my child’s body. I need answers as to what happened,” the mother pleaded. more

PRIME Minister Portia Simpson Miller has cautioned students against using the tablet computers, provided to them by the Government's $1.4 billion Tablets in Schools pilot programme, to post on YouTube and other social media sites.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 by Jamaica Observer

PRIME Minister Portia Simpson Miller has cautioned students against using the tablet computers, provided to them by the Government, to post on YouTube and other social media sites.
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller (second right) and Minister
 of Education Ronald Thwaites (right) applaud as Minister of Science,
 Technology, Energy and Mining, Phillip Paulwell presents a tablet
to Haile Selassie High School student Tarique Salmon. Occasion
 was the handing over of tablets to students of the school yesterday,
under the Government’s $1.4 billion Tablets in Schools
 pilot project. Tarique’s mother, Vinnel Lawson,
shares in the moment. (PHOTO: JIS)
Simpson Miller, who was addressing yesterday's distribution of the tablets at the Haile Selassie High School in her South West St Andrew constituency, said that the devices "are for educational purposes, nothing else". She also advised parents to monitor their children's use of the tablets.
Haile Selassie is the third institution to be issued with tablet computers under the Government's $1.4 billion Tablets in Schools pilot programme and the first secondary level institution.
Salt Savannah Primary and Infant School in Clarendon and Cavaliers All-age School in West Rural St Andrew are the schools that have already received devices.
The 840 students of Haile Selassie will be presented with the devices over two days. Tablets were previously distributed to teachers from participating schools across the island.
The prime minister, in hailing the project, said with the tablets in hand, students will now have the opportunity to improve on their school work.
Noting her commitment to education, the prime minister said her administration has provided some $8 million in tertiary support, each year, for students in her constituency. more

11-year-old deejay Wayne J single, Chikungunya Virus (chik-V) is airborne....he and his mother are recovering from the illness, while his father has fully recovered. There are 35 confirmed cases and estimated thousands of transmittal in Jamaica

THE outbreak of chikungunya virus (chik-V) has certainly been Jamaica's hot-button topic in recent weeks. And, 11-year-old deejay Wayne J has added his voice to the discourse.
His single, Chikungunya, has been doing the rounds. Produced by Ikation Records, the track was officially released on Sunday.
"I thank the disc jocks for playing it. It really makes me feel good," Wayne J told the Jamaica Observer.
Wayne J
A student of Pembroke High School in St Andrew, Wayne J (given name Wayne Smith Jr) said he hasn't heard the single yet.
"I've never heard it. People tell me about it," he said.
According to Wayne J, the song was written by his father and "with some input from me".
Ironically, he and his mother are recovering from the illness, while his father has fully recovered.
"I never knew I could have gotten it," said Wayne J, who lives in the Waterhouse community of St Andrew. He also knows that he can only get it once.
The Ministry of Health put the number of confirmed cases at 35. However, some estimate it in the thousands.
Chik-V is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and causes fever, joint paint and rashes. more

Jamaican singer, Anita Antoinette blew away all 4 judges on the Voice Season 7. Will you be supporting Anita ? (Video)



Published September 30, 2014

Could this amazing soulful, roots artist be following in the footsteps of Tessanne Chin? Well, based onher performance on the blind audition of the Voice on season 7 last night she could very well be. 
Anita Antoinette, who currently lives in Boston, Mass was born in Jamaica, her dad is reggae icon, Clinton Fearon. All four judges spun their chairs around and gave her a standing ovation after she sang Bob Marley's "Turn Your Lights Down Low".
Jamaican Facebook fans will certainly be coming together to support this excellent artist on Season 7 of the Voice. Anita was eliminated in Season 5 when she tried out for the event.
Wish her luck.....Go Anita.

ICONS of SOUL AWARD: Honour for Sister Nancy along with Robert 'Bobby' Clarke, Alma 'Mama Alma' Campbell, Frano Francis, Winston 'Merritone' Blake, Winston 'Wee Pow' Powell and radio broadcaster Jeff Barnes.

BY CECELIA CAMPBELL-LIVINGSTON Observer reporter livingstonc@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, September 30, 2014       
ROOTS reggae artiste Sister Nancy is among four persons being honoured at the 13th staging of Icons of Soul slated for the Rochdale Community Centre in Queens, New York, on Saturday, November 8.
Sister Nancy
The younger sister of deejay Brigadier Jerry, Sister Nancy first connected with hits such as Bam Bam, One Two and Cocaine at a time when Jamaica's music business was still dominated by males.
Nancy's version of Bam Bam was recently featured in a Reebok TV commercial.
Event conceptualiser Mikey Sterling said it has always been his desire to recognise those who have made a big impact on the music industry.
"We are talking about contributions from the soul, that's the best place any real giving or service can come from," he told the Jamaica Observer. "There are some who will never get recognised until after they are gone, I don't believe in that. I want to honour them now while they are alive."
Others receiving awards are: concert promoter Robert 'Bobby' Clarke, who will be getting the Man of the Year Award; Alma 'Mama Alma' Campbell The Queen of Promotions award; while Frano Francis will be getting The King of Promotions award.
Recipients of the Icon of Soul Award include Winston 'Merritone' Blake, Winston 'Wee Pow' Powell and radio broadcaster Jeff Barnes.

TESSANNE CHIN & RULA BROWN - "Heavens Knows" (Big Chuneeeeeee)

Ernie, Pluto For Keesing Live : On Saturday, October 18, it will be all about the legends

Shereita Grizzle, Gleaner Writer Published: Monday | September 29, 2014
The most recent staging of Keesing Live brought the 'Fyah and Ice', as Donald 'Iceman' Anderson and reggae band Raging Fyah stole the spotlight. On Saturday, October 18, it will be all about the legends in the next installation of the concert series at Keesing Avenue in St Andrew.
File  Ernie Smith (left) and Pluto Shervington.
File Ernie Smith (left) and Pluto Shervington.
Alternative Music Ltd has managed to secure a duo who has contributed considerably to Jamaica's musical legacy. Ernie Smith and Pluto Shervington are the headline acts for the next staging of Keesing Live. The organisers anticipate that the pair will pull a large crowd.
Ernie Smith enjoyed the earliest success in his musical career in the 1960s and '70s. Some of his earliest hits include Bend Down and Ride On Sammy. One of his most popular songs in Jamaica however, was the 1974 hit Duppy Gunman.
FOLK-STYLE MUSIC
Born Leighton Shervington in Kingston, Pluto Shervington is best known for his humorous folk style of music. His catalogue includes the classics I Man Born Ya and Ram Goat Liver.
Kelissa
Kelissa
Keesing Live's official Facebook page describes the event as one not to be missed, especially with a line-up that also includes One Third, Kelissa and Kimiela 'Candy' Isaacs. Fae Ellington, who is this year celebrating her 40th year in media, will do emceeing duties, which in itself should be a treat. more

Historical Background Of Coffee In Jamaica: Coffee production began in Jamaica in 1728 when the then governor of Jamaica, Sir Nicholas Lawes, brought approximately eight coffee seedlings from Martinique. Governor Lawes planted those seedlings at Temple Hall in St Andrew, one of his many properties.

Published: Monday | September 29, 2014
Coffee production began in Jamaica in 1728 when the then governor of Jamaica, Sir Nicholas Lawes, brought approximately eight coffee seedlings from Martinique. Governor Lawes planted those seedlings at Temple Hall in St Andrew, one of his many properties. At about the same time, an unnamed gentleman from Vere in Clarendon also imported a number of berries, also from Martinique.
Coffee beans.
Coffe Beans
Within a decade, there was a rapid expansion of the local coffee industry. This was due, in part, to the influx of refugees from the Haitian Revolution. The Haitian masters and their slaves brought with them their experience and expertise in coffee production.
This rapid expansion was, however, short-lived, chiefly due to poor land preparation and agronomic practices which resulted in severe landslides and the loss of the productive soils. Things got worse after Emancipation as the slaves deserted their plantations, resulting in large-scale abandonment of coffee farms, with some being rented or sold to small farmers. This resulted in coffee becoming a small-scale peasant crop as opposed to the plantation crop it was previously.
A laden coffee tree.
Tree
The industry continued to decline, reaching a low point in 1943 when Canadian importers refused to buy Jamaican coffee due to its poor quality. This led to Government intervention with the appointment of the then governor for agriculture in the West Indies, A.J. Wakefield, being asked to make recommendations for the rehabilitation of the coffee industry. more